Dr. Gawen Zomermaand is graduate of Iowa State University’s undergraduate and D.V.M. programs. He has over 33 years of experience. Before practicing as a veterinarian, Dr. Zomermaand grew up and worked on his family farm in addition to helping out at the National Animal Disease Center. He specializes in Risk Management currently.

Dr. Bishop grew up in Manchester, IA on a diverse crop and livestock farm and spent much of her time working with their livestock and horses. Her interest in the swine industry brought her to Iowa State University where she graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Born and raised in Nebraska, Dr. Jess Waddell cultivated a passion for veterinary medicine early on by shadowing his father, a food animal veterinarian, on farm visits. His commitment to agriculture deepened through active participation in 4-H and FFA. Dr. Waddell earned his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Carly Bates grew up on a small hobby farm in Muscatine, Iowa, where her family raised Hereford cattle and show pigs. Her early involvement in 4-H and FFA helped build a strong foundation in agriculture and inspired a lifelong passion for the industry. Dr.

Francisco Cabezon was born in Chile in 1985. He received his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering at the Universidad Catolica de Chile in 2011. In 2012 Francisco worked for Agrosuper, the largest pork producer in Chile with 135,000 sows and approximately 4,000,000 pigs marketed per year.

Dr. Todd E. Williams was owner and practitioner with Ottumwa Veterinary Clinic until it was acquired by Pipestone Veterinary Services in 2013. Todd resided in Ottumwa, Iowa, as well as spent time in central Missouri serving swine clients across Iowa and Missouri.

Dr. Barry Richard Kerkaert serves as Chairman of the Board for Pipestone Holdings, providing strategic leadership and governance to one of the world’s leading swine health and production organizations.

Dr. Gustavo Pizarro graduated from Universidad Mayor in Santiago Chile in 1995 with his degree in Veterinary Medicine, and later in 2010 continued his education by completing his Bachelor Degree in Agriculture Business Administration at the Universidad Catolica of Chile.

Sebastian was born in Maracay, Venezuela where he obtained his veterinarian degree from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) in 1996. Sebastian has been working in different roles in the swine industry since 1986. From farm staff to manager, including a 3,000-sows multiplier, he has a passion for production excellence.

Abraham was born in Guasave, Sinaloa, North West Mexico. His passion for animal production and agriculture was instilled by his family who still farm in the valley of Sinaloa. Abraham graduated as a veterinarian in 2020 from the Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON) in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora.

Dr. Rafael was born in Cd Obregón, Sonora and studied veterinary medicine at ITSON, and began his career at Kekén as part of the Technical Veterinary Department, focusing on health and biosecurity for 45,000 sows.

Dr. Paula was born in Bogota, Colombia. It was a passion for biology that led her to study veterinary medicine at UDCA in Bogota, Colombia graduating in 2011. She went on to attain an M.S. in Animal Medicine and Health in Cordoba, Spain in 2016.